In Abadan, a southwestern Iranian city known for its gentle breezes from the Arvand River, a group of Iranians gather each night to watch the fighting just across the border in Iraq. Meanwhile, in the Iranian capital of Tehran, policy-makers are also watching the war closely with decidedly mixed feelings.
The February 28 local elections exposed broad rifts among reform-minded supporters of President Mohammed Khatami. Conservative candidates thrashed reformers at the polls, gaining control of municipal legislative bodies across Iran. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].
The warfare in Iraq has obscured a political crisis in neighboring Iran that may potentially place Tehran on a collision course with the United States. The Iranian crisis is linked to two parallel developments emanating from last February's elections in Iran, which saw the defeat of reformists in most local elections.
Far removed from the United Nations' debate on Iraq, two Iranian warships arrived in India on March 10 for a five-day visit that will include joint naval exercises. The visit underscores the rapid expansion of ties between New Delhi and Tehran in recent years, especially in the realm of trade.
In local elections marked by low turnout, Iranian President Mohammed Khatami's reformist agenda suffered a serious setback. The results have bolstered the influence of conservative political forces in an ongoing struggle for control over Iran's development agenda.
Iranians are bracing for a potentially pivotal parliamentary election February 20. The most closely watched aspect of the election will not be who actually wins the ballot-count, but who turns out to vote. A possible mass boycott could turn the parliamentary election into a referendum on Iran's status quo.
Azerbaijan is counting on the development of the Caspian Basin's energy resources to secure its economic future. Yet a deadlock among Caspian littoral states on a Caspian Sea territorial agreement is viewed as a major obstacle to the development of regional energy exports.
The United States' concern over stability in Central Asia makes American diplomats anxious about Iran's development of nuclear energy plants for two reasons: First, because Iran, which US President George W.
